Fabrication is Not Just a ‘Black Box’

There is a saying here at Schaffer Manufacturing that metal fabrication should not be a “black box” operation. In other words, you don’t simply feed in the print and out comes the part. If a supplier is brought on as a fabrication specialist, an OEM deserves engineering-based ideas that optimize a part for production. In fact, when a fabrication supplier doesn’t routinely provide feedback about manufacturability engineering, the customer is missing critical opportunities.

Bottom line: You should expect the Schaffer engineering capability to help drive outcomes ranging from lower costs and faster turnaround . . . to improved component quality, integrity and performance.

Schaffer engineering involvement on customer projects includes: early collaboration at the design/prototype stage; enhancing a “final” print to optimize manufacturability; digitizing old prints to take full advantage of modern 3D technology; or working from a designer’s 3D CAD model to reverse-engineer an optimized, fabrication-ready manufacturing print.

In other cases, engineering and production outsourced to Schaffer involves dealing with a particularly complex or challenging aspect of the overall fabrication – not necessarily the entire project – that exceeds the manufacturer’s in-house capabilities.

Here are a few key takeaways from Schaffer experiences working with fabrication customers to optimize part design and engineering:

Frequently, engineering is a capability that the customer executes very capably in-house. Schaffer is there to complement, not replace, the OEM’s own operation. We are an extension of the manufacturer’s engineering department.

At same time, customers need to be confident that Schaffer can take the engineering ball and run with it. If not, the OEM might as well handle the work internally.

One of the best scenarios for real engineering progress and best-possible outcomes on the manufacturing floor is the willingness to share and integrate our respective areas of expertise. Success always comes down to total transparency, collaboration and communication.

This collaboration should be ongoing. In the context of metal fabrication, finding the best way to cut, weld and assemble is a continuous improvement project. We know from lots of experience that engineering can create improvements, value and new payoffs reflected in successive rounds of prints and production.